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TF2 - Polypack - christermime

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polycounter lvl 8
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christermime polycounter lvl 8
Hi all--

Making a pack for the Demoman called BACK TO BASICS

The idea of the pack is to get Demoman back to doing what he does best, making things go boom. No more swords, no more shields, just explosives. Another focus of the pack will be things that look somewhat homemade. I want the items to look like Demo thought them up on a late drinking night (which in his case, is every night)

The first up is a sticky replacement-
Proximity Mines (Insert more witty name here)

Late one light, Demo was experimenting with various explosive materials. Naturally, some things go wrong, a few fires here, a few explosions there. And every single time the DAMN smoke alarm goes off.

Well, Demo came up with a much better use for the device. Why not take a smoke detector make it detect PEOPLE and then BLOWS THEM UP? Genius!

Gameplay Specs:
Sticky Launcher Replacement
1 Second Placement Time
4 Mines may be placed at one time
Explodes when enemy player comes near
Being hit by bullets/explosive damage will cause the mine to explode
Beeps softly with team-colored light


Initial Concept:
proxmine1.jpg

Some initial Model WIP:
ProxMineWIP1.jpg


Thanks for looking :)

Replies

  • fastturtle
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    Model for the mine pretty much finished up, going to start UVing and do a quick paintover for texture ideas. Put some plungers on the bottom of it so it can stick to walls/ceilings/etc. as it's a sticky bomb replacement.

    WIPrender1.jpg

    feedback appreciated!
  • Atten
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    I think the model is visually too busy. The vanilla sticky bomb model is extremely simple, yours just has way too much going on. Most of the details won't even be noticed due to the sticky bomb's minute size. It also doesn't feel very homemade. I like the concept of 'drunkenly slapped together explosives,' but this still needs some work.
  • Guitbox
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    man, i love that idea! and plungers? Clever! I was thinking of trying my hand at the demo, but couldn't get inspiration.

    I like the idea of "Back to Basics" as well... wasn't interested much in the sword and shield thing :S
  • Fragus
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    very,very,very good! :D
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    thanks all :) working on the paintover now.

    and Guitbox, neither was I, especially after watching his meet-the video again... exploding people is his passion! Who are we to deny him of that?
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    All UVed and AO baked.

    AO_bake3copy.jpg

    Calling it a night, texturing tomorrow.
  • REKLAS
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    I'm gonna have to vote no on the proximity mine idea gameplay-wise. But this is really cool looking so far and I love the rigged up smoke detector. Genius.
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    Atten wrote: »
    I think the model is visually too busy. The vanilla sticky bomb model is extremely simple, yours just has way too much going on. Most of the details won't even be noticed due to the sticky bomb's minute size. It also doesn't feel very homemade. I like the concept of 'drunkenly slapped together explosives,' but this still needs some work.
    Don't know how I missed this post until now-- I imagined that the mine would be larger than sticky bombs so that more of the detail could be seen. Since you can only have 4 out at a time, i imagined them being somewhat larger than regular stickies (maybe the size of 4 stickies clustered together)

    That said, what do you think i could do to make it look more homemade? I still have some space to move things around in UV layout + rebake AO, otherwise I'll try to take suggestions in the texture work. Thanks for the feedback. :thumbup:
    REKLAS wrote: »
    I'm gonna have to vote no on the proximity mine idea gameplay-wise. But this is really cool looking so far and I love the rigged up smoke detector. Genius.

    Haha, goldeneye days made me kind of feel the same way at first, but I was thinking if they beeped softly so observant players could tell when they were nearby, in addition to being able to be set-off by enemy fire would help to make them not feel like an unfair death. Always open to anybody's ideas on how to make them more gameplay-friendly. Thanks for the compliments :)
  • Khthon
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    Well, all stats are up to Valve in the end anyways. Perhaps the team-colored blinking light could somehow be more prominent on the model? Like he slapped a bigger bulb on there so he'd remember where it was when he was drunk.

    Recording the actual sound of a smoke detector going off and it gets more pitch-shifted as enemies get closer to it would be neat as well (but beyond this contest's scope and requirements).
  • duoxan
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    duoxan polycounter lvl 17
    Haha, goldeneye days made me kind of feel the same way at first, but I was thinking if they beeped softly so observant players could tell when they were nearby, in addition to being able to be set-off by enemy fire would help to make them not feel like an unfair death. Always open to anybody's ideas on how to make them more gameplay-friendly. Thanks for the compliments :)

    yea but tf2 is such a loud game with so much going on i doubt youd notice them. maybe they should emit a bit of smoke from the crossed wires so it was more of a visual cue instead of auditory
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    Making the bulb bigger is a good start, I think I will do that. Emitting a bit of smoke is a really cool idea. Maybe the longer they're planted the more smoke they emit, so you'd want to be planting them more on the fly and in different places rather than trapping the same corner over and over.

    Unfortunately, I'm not very well versed in Source, so I have no idea how to get particle effects coming off the weapon. Cool suggestions all, thank you!
  • [Deleted User]
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    [Deleted User] insane polycounter
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    I realized that they're not supposed to have custom animation about halfway through making it, so I decided since I've only used around 2k of the 8k tri limit, I'm going to make a launcher for them as well to fit the requirements better. Launcher is still in the design phase, I don't really like any of my ideas for it yet. I'm thinking the mines will be launched out of it plungers forward so it can stick to walls/ceilings/whatever and make sense.
  • fastturtle
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    As far as gameplay goes, of course this is all up to Valve as well, but I don't think it's unbalanced. Goldeneye prox mines were ridiculous because they were basically indistinguishable from bullet holes in the wall and you could throw out a zillion if you had picked up a zillion of them.

    I think having only 4 out (assuming they do the same damage as a single sticky mine) allows you to only really trap one place very well. And even then, an overhealed heavy class (soldier, demo, hwg) would probably be able to survive that still.

    I think being able to trap somewhere and then leave it to go have fun with the Pipe Launcher rather than sit there and watch your trap encourages a more active style of play, which is pretty much always a good thing. Also, having them blow up when they take damage encourages good play practice, like launching rockets around corners before you make the turn.

    I love this idea and, if anything, think it's good enough to be a reskin of stickies. Can't wait to see the launcher!
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    Some WIP textures... still a lot to do.

    WIPtextures.jpg

    Thanks for the kind words turtle :)
  • dickless
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    Hmm the dynamite could look a bit more dynamitey. I don't really like the caps at the end, it could be a cylinder of anything really atm.
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    I'll try to address it best I can in texture work. :) Maybe a universal symbol of danger somewhere on it could indicate it's explosive?
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    hey all- textures nearing completion, but I'm always opens to crits and suggestions. Going to start modeling the launcher tomorrow :)

    layout2.jpg

    thanks for all the feedback so far!
  • Steve Schulze
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    Steve Schulze polycounter lvl 18
    That's looking pretty nice, though not overly in keeping with the TF2 art style. I'd start by losing all the detail on the duct tape and the label on the explosive.

    Swizzle did a really good analysis of the TF2 texturing style which can be found here:
    http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73559
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    Wow, that was a good read. I'll try making another version with a bit flatter texture on the tape. Thanks!
  • Karkasmolenklok
    Yeah I like the concept a lot. The colors and textures can use some work.
  • Khthon
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    Agree with Jack and Kark on needing to move more toward TF2 style with the texture.
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    Working on some variations now, will be posting when they're done. Thanks guys
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    Is this heading in a better direction?

    layout2_direction.jpg
  • Luxy
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    New texture is better, but could be improved.
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    New texture is still WIP, but looking to see if it's heading in a better direction. Glad to know it's improving though :)
  • Rogue Trooper
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    Looks almost like a smoke alarm.
  • Luxy
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    That is the point.
  • Rogue Trooper
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    I must've missed that part.
  • xilefian
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    I feel you should take on board the suggestions you ignored, as opposed to simply saying you're open to them.
    This is a very noisy model at the moment, it will draw a lot of visual attention, even from people on the demoman's team.
  • fastturtle
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    Definitely looking better with the blocky colors. Can't wait to see a more finished version!
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    Worked some more on the textures...
    layout2newer.jpg
    Starting the modeling/conceptualizing of the launcher now.
  • fastturtle
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    Not sure about that dark blue/purple color on the tape for the BLU texture. Maybe a grey similar to the one used for the RED would work better?
  • Acumen
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    Acumen polycounter lvl 18
    i just think your colors are too strong and contrasting, whereas in tf2 everything is very harmonic and pleasing to the eye. the reds and blues are too harsh and same for the beige. if you tune the color tones a bit, you'll be good to go :)
  • Khthon
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    Are you going to figure out how to make the lights a light source?
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    @Acumen I'll definitely try this out. Thanks for the tip ;)

    @Khthon I DO want to make the lights a light source, but I was kind of saving it for the end of the competition, after my other items are finished. I'm not versed in Source or Hammer at all, so it's probably going to be a long process getting the stuff in there. That said, I do a lot of work in UDK, hopefully some of that knowledge would transfer over.
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    newcolors.jpg
    jiving better?
  • Galago
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    I think you could lose those blocks of color on the tape, it doesn't seem to fit too well.
  • Hotdogbunker
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    Some ideas for the mine's name...
    -The Scotsman's Sublimator (sublimation is the physical process of something solid skipping the melting phase and turning directly into a gas)
    -The Errent Twitch (demoman quote reference)

    These are two ideas, but they probably aren't too good. I love the idea by the way; it fits the quirky theme of tf2 perfectly!
  • Ruskeydoo
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    Possible conceptual issues.

    The whole concept of a smoke alarm is that it detects smoke... This feels like one of those puzzles in an old school point and click adventure. You've been stuck on this one section for days, eventually you give up and read a walkthrough: "What the hell do you mean I have to use a smoke detector to detect people?! That makes no sense!"

    on the other hand... spys smoke.

    Also I really like the juryrigged aesthetic, but it doesn't look like it would survive being shot out of a launcher.
  • Khthon
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    Jiving. The tape doesn't need as much color variation/blocks of light gray.
  • Ruskeydoo
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    Along the lines of the demo rigging stuff up to explode... How about booby-trapping ammo packs?
  • Snex
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    another thing is smoke detectors, at least commercial ones were not available until 1969
    isnt tf2 set in 1950's?
  • Psyke
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    could be that it -looks- like one. even if they didn't exsist

    unbeknownst to demoman
  • Khthon
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    Here's a couple early smoke alarms -
    Vintage%20Fire%20Alarm.jpg
    4920da199d99b_12855n.jpg
    istockphoto_645624-fire-alarm.jpg
    12300_2263_1_lg.jpg
    gong07.jpg
    A108L.jpg
    Fire-Alarm.jpg
    199643451_53647628a3.jpg
    3921738013_1f41d6a29a.jpg
    3771918889_15ee2b53e7.jpg
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    Whoa, thanks for all the comments/feedback guys.

    @Hotdogbunker I LOVE the scotsman's subliminator. I'm no good with the clever TF2 names, but I think that fits right in.

    @Ruskeydoo I've been kind of struggling to think of a barrel that would make sense shooting it. I may scrap the launcher for now, do a different unlock and come back to it later. Booby trapping ammo packs is an evil evil idea. hahahah.

    @snex+psyche I was hoping it was invented close enough to the era that It wouldn't cause too much of a disconnect stylistically. I like psyche's excuse :p

    @Khthon I've gotta give you credit for being so much help in pretty much every thread. You are a reference machine, thank you for taking the time to find so many images for so many people. I didn't go with an earlier smoke detector design, because I felt like it became somewhat unrecognizable to today's eyes, and really wanted it to be instantly recognizable as a smoke detector. But this reference gives me some good ideas for my next item :D I really love the key-winding one in the middle.

    I also got rid of some of the color variation on the tape. (mostly the brighter spots.) and I think it looks a bit better. thanks again all-
  • Khthon
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    @christermime your thanks makes it all worth it, bro.

    DWACv.jpg
  • jgoodroad
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    perhaps you could incorperate some kind of bell-like reminant.
  • christermime
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    christermime polycounter lvl 8
    Idea for second unlock (Melee unlock)

    Grampa MacLeod's Cure For What Ails ya (molotov cocktail!)
    Throwable
    Upon impact, creates a ring of fire which lasts for 5-10 seconds
    Anyone who enters the fire takes damage and has afterburn effects
    Damages sentries if they are in the ring of fire
    Regenerates slowly (throw wisely, or find yourself without a melee weapon)
    Must be lit by a pyro before throwing
    Ring of fire may be put out by pyro's airblast
    If used as melee while lit, explodes on both players

    concept3macleod.jpg

    Stats are obviously negotiable, but I went for an old medicine-bottle style (with an unknown liquid that smells suspiciously like scotch within), and a traditional scottish plaid cloth completing the molotov.

    Starting on modeling now, but very preliminary, feedback appreciated.
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